Callum Bidwell

Hedge Trimming and Garden Maintenance

Hedge trimming and garden maintenance are extremely important when it comes to defining your exterior boundaries with your neighbours.

Like all garden maintenance jobs, planning is extremely important, and none more so than the equipment to be used. Not only is it important to ensure your trimmers and shears are in good working order but you must also give some thought to your safety equipment such as gloves, goggles and for high positioned tasks helmets and proper boots.

For smaller hedges, hand shears would normally suffice however for large-scale jobs petrol or electrical trimmers would be seen as the standard option nowadays.

The majority of hedges have to be clipped after planting and then twice a year in spring and late summer. Normally, you would only trim the side shoots of more temperately growing hedges leaving the leading shoots untouched. The most vigorous species might need trimming 2 or 3 times in the growing season. Once the leading shoots have attained the desired height, trim them level to make a flat-topped, wider-growing hedge.

Hedge Trimming Quick Tip!

Whilst trimming the hedge, it’s extremely important to make sure you always have a good vantage point to assess how your “lines” are running as it’s very difficult to determine accurately by eye; it’s only when you have finished that any mistakes become apparent.

The great thing about working in the garden is that it’s a dynamic environment – even if you do make mistakes they will soon be remedied – take for example the rosebush; roses are very hardy and forgiving, so short of cutting them off an inch above the ground, it’s hard to make a mistake. Get a good sharp pair of secateurs for this job. Cut off all the dead branches and the branches that are aiming in the wrong directions. Finally, trim the branches that you want to regenerate the new buds for future growth – keep around three growth buds on the branch in question.

Another great tip for freshening up the layout is to move plants from one part of the garden to the other. If you are moving shrubs, don’t try it with anything too big, as you will have a problem getting up all the roots. But for smaller shrubs such as daphne, rosemary or roses (again), all you need to do is first dig a sizeable hole where you desire to place the shrub. Put some blood and bone down the end. Then cautiously dig up the shrub you want to transplant, taking as much root and as much soil around the root as you can. Then move the shrub – roots, soil and all – into the pit where it’s going to do. Put in as much soil as you need to fill the hole to the top, then water it.

Northern Beaches Garden Care has over ten years experience in Hedge Trimming and Garden Maintenance right across the Northern Beaches and Lower Northshore of Sydney. For more information on Hedge Cutting Neutral Bay, call (02) 8488 8080 or visit Northern Beaches Garden Care.

Britain’s first double hand transplant patient said he is most looking forward to trimming his hedge and holding a bottle of beer.

Britain’s first double hand transplant patient said he is most looking forward to trimming his hedge and holding a bottle of beer.

Chris King, 57, who lost both his hands except his thumbs in a metal pressing machine accident at work, said he felt “whole again” after the operation.

He is the second person to have a hand transplant at at specialist centre at Leeds General Infirmary and the first in the country to have both hands replaced.

He said they look “absolutely tremendous” and he has already had some movement.

“It’s better than a lottery win because you feel whole again,” he said, adding that he will celebrate by holding a bottle of Timothy Taylor’s and ditching his “Full Monty Velcro” shirts he has had to use.

He said he is looking forward to wearing shirts with real buttons – the ones he wears at the moment have fake buttons and velcro strips – and having a bit of style.

I could shout from the rooftops and celebrate it big-time, which is what I’m going to do.

A bottle of Timothy Taylor’s – that’s what I can’t wait to get back for.

King, from Doncaster, lost his hands in the accident three years ago and had resigned himself to living an adapted life.

But when Professor Simon Kay at Leeds General Infirmary introduced him to Mark Cahill, the first person to have had a hand transplant in the UK in 2012, he was encouraged to have the operation.

They have since become good friends – exclusive members of a club of two that is looking for more members, he added.

I can’t wait to get all this (the bandages) off and look at them properly.

It was just like the hands were made-to-measure. They absolutely fit. And it’s actually opened a memory because I could never remember what my hands looked like after the accident because that part of my brain shut down.

He has returned to work at Eaton Lighting in Doncaster where the accident happened and said the firm has been “brilliant” in supporting him.

Professor Kay’s team currently has four more people on the waiting list.

King stressed the importance of people stepping forward as potential donors and become emotional when asked about the person who helped him.

These days when a lot of people are getting into gardening, whether it’s a colourful place full of flowers or a veggie patch, it’s good to learn a few tips and tricks along the way.

This article will give you some great advice to get you started.

How to create a beautiful garden at your home

Today, we live in a truly interesting era where technology takes over the key role in our lives. Consequently, our tie to nature is weakening now when we need it to be the strongest for several reasons. First, with all the glass, steel and concrete that dominate urban landscapes, one cannot find a hint of shade anywhere. Second, with all the junk food and GMO out there, being able to grow your own food has become a highly valued skill. With this in mind, here are some DIY gardening tips and tricks that might just come in handy.

Most ecologists would agree that plastic (being extremely slowly degradable) is one of the major problems for our environment. However, it can be the right solution if we put enough mind into it.For example, all you need to do to make your own tiny greenhouses is cut off the bottom of the milk jug or a plastic bottle and place it on the seedling you want to protect. In this way, you will keep the plant from harm on colder days, but you should remove this barrier when the plant no longer needs it.

Seeing how you should definitely cut down on artificial fertilisers, it might be a good idea to start making your own compost. In this compost, you can literally put any food leftover, except (perhaps) the meat and dairy. Breadcrumbs, fruit scraps, fish bones and even empty egg shells can be used here. All you will need now is a container to put it all in. Old dish pans, soft drink cans and even diapers have proven to be quite well versed to this task. All in all, your only limitation is your own imagination.

Depending on your local climate, you might not have enough rain to satisfy the needs of your garden soil. In this situation, a lot of people spend a fortune trying to buy an expensive irrigation system, while truly resourceful people just make it on their own. For one of these methods, all you will need is a quality hose of adequate length. What you should do is stretch it alongside your plants and poke a tiny hole every four or five inches. Next, you should turn your water valve to minimum, after all you want it to drip a bit and not to drown your garden. There you have it, your own inexpensive DIY irrigation system.

Additionally, while there are some things you can make on your own, some of the proper gardening equipment will be indispensable. Scissors, welders, a soil knife, rakes and a shovel are all essential gear without which you shouldn’t even think about trying your hand in gardening. On the other hand, this is not all you will need, since finding an adequate garden sprayer can be equally important. Sure, you should always try to reduce the amount of pesticides to minimum, but sometimes you simply won’t have a choice. Fungicides, herbicides and pesticides are often a necessary evil, and you will need a sprayer which can safely handle them.

As you can see, the cost of having a well-organized and fertile garden is not one you pay in money, but in time and patience. The price of even the most quality of equipment is the one you pay only once, while all these other ideas require more work than financial investment. With the right amount of research and willingness to get your hands dirty, you will soon be able to brag with the neatest, most beautiful garden in the neighbourhood. This alone makes it totally worth it.

All above images courtesy of CreativeCommons

Author bio:

Diana Smith is a full-time mum of two beautiful girls and a passionate traveller. In her free time she enjoys writing about home and family, pets and gardening.

Northern Beaches Garden Care is a team of landscape gardeners specialising in areas such as garden maintenance, hedge trimming, landscape gardening, lawn mowing and mulching services. Our passion is gardening, and it shows in the attitude and work that we do.